Run Away, Run Away
by Dark-Dreams-69
Summary: Kyo realizes his feelings for Yuki and runs away, Yuki must go find him before it's too late. YukiKyo
1. Run

Hurray, chapter one of Run Away, Run Away is re-posted. Well, I hope you all enjoy it, I'll probably be updating this at least twice a week since I already have all the chapters ready. So, when you're done reading, clicky on the review button!

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, except maybe this shiny pen I bought the other day…Does anyone even read the disclaimers? I'd like to know who. Seems like a waste of time.**

/…../ Kyo's thought

/_italics_/ The pessimistic side of Kyo's thoughts

Run Away, Run Away 

Kyo sat on the roof of Shigure's house. Where else would he sit? Where else could he have his peace and contemplate? Certainly not inside the house, something was always going on in there. He tried to keep his thoughts from straying to Yuki Sohma, his cousin and rival, the rat. Yes, Yuki was the one person he didn't want to think of.

It was ok though, because he would be leaving. Soon, very soon. Whenever his problems became too much, he ran. That's what he was doing, running away instead of staying to figure things out. But, Yuki…

/Damn Yuki…why? Why him, of all the people./ Kyo thought, watching as the sky turned from blue to pink to purple to velvet blue, then black. Running his hands through his hair, he tried to keep it together, to keep from breaking down there on the roof, sitting in only his beige pants.

/Yuki…/

_/No! Don't think about it! If you don't think, then it will go away/_ Something inside of him screamed, begging him not to remember, not to accept. No, he wouldn't accept it. He would leave, tomorrow, or today, it was so early in the morning.

"Yeah, you're in to deep Kyo…" he said, mainly to himself. He didn't realize the shadow sitting at the ladder, just watching him sit there. It had been there since late last night, and his quivering violet eyes had never wavered from the half naked figure in front of him.

"Arrg!" Screamed Kyo standing up and kicking at air, desperately yelling out to no one, wishing to inflict pain upon himself to forget his stupidity.

/Feelings for the rat, I have--/

/_No! Don't say it! Just don't/_ He begged to himself, but it was to late.

/I love Yuki. That arrogant rat, I love him and I need him, and it's not right…/

Out of breath, Kyo fell back onto the roof, his energy suddenly gone. His confession, it had been done, said. Not out loud, but inside where it hurt the most. After years of denial, after so long, with all the fights, all the cruel words past back and forth. All the years of hate and despise were all crumbling before him and he could see what he didn't before.

He admired Yuki, he always had. He had always wished, always wanted the rat to pay attention to him, to smile at him, to notice the little orange haired boy in the corner who was never a real part of anything, except maybe fear. He didn't want Yuki to fear him, or hate him, or deny his existence.

_/But Yuki will never change, he'll never accept you, and even if he does find it in his heart to accept it, he will never return the feelings. There's so many other people who he can have, why would he want the cat/_

/But, maybe there's the chance…a small one…/

"No." Kyo said, out loud. "There's no chance, and even if there is it wouldn't work, Akito would make sure of that. That's why I'm leaving…that's the reason, the real one…"

In the shadows, the violet eyes widened in surprise, then fell downcast.

/Yuki, why did all this have to happen? I'm such an idiot. It's just like you've always said. Stupid cat, Baka neko, I'm worth nothing./ Kyo leaned back to gaze at the tiny stars that seemed to twinkle down, smiling at him. Or was it frowning? Maybe they were crying for him. They knew that he couldn't live like this. He never did like pity; maybe that's why he hated the rain, when the heavens poured down their tears…

/And in the morning when everyone rises, nothing will have changed, no one will know, will realize, and they will go on with their existence not knowing what I am going through./ Kyo felt like crying, because he knew nothing would ever be resolved. Even if he stayed it would just tear him apart, he'd get more distant with everyone and they would all completely hate him. He knew. At least if he left then he wouldn't cause the others as much suffering, to see him deteriorate in front of them.

/Is it wrong? To leave them without explaining? Maybe if I told them, but no. I am right; I swear I'm right. I need to leave; it's for the best. I hate it here. I hate it…/ Kyo was reminded of what his master had told him last time he saw Kyo…he had said that Kyo didn't hate it here…but he did, didn't he? Or was he just afraid of getting to close, and then losing it all? Dawn came, and Kyo rose to his feet, preparing for what seemed to be the hardest choice he had ever made. He leapt off the roof, taking a small bundle with him, and began to walk away from the house. On the roof, a small rat scurried to the edge, desperately trying to call out to the cat but not being able to, he didn't have a big enough voice. As soon as Kyo was out of sight, the rat transformed with a poof, and a very naked Yuki sat, huddled up on the roof and sobbing. And he cried out, in a desperate attempt to bring the cat back, even though he was too late.

"KYOOO!"

Huddled in the fetal position was the way the others found him, almost three hours later.


	2. Facing a Private Storm

Well, not to many people reviewed, but I like writing, so I'm going to continue anyways because people asked me nicely. The first chapter was short, because it was supposed to be a one shot. But hopefully this clears up some questions about the first chapter, like why Yuki didn't go after Kyo. And if it doesn't then I'll explain at the bottom, because knowing me I may get sidetracked and not put anything in explaining.

Also, to **seto'swifey**, I'd love it if you recommended my story to other people:D

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except my keys. :D

/……./ thoughts

/_italics_/ inner thoughts

Deep in the woods, and well hidden in a damp and desolate cave, a very tired Kyo sat, huddled against a wall, with only a tiny fire for warmth. Murky water dripped from the ceiling of the cave and hit the rock floors with a dull splat.

/This is hell…why did I even think this was a good idea/

/_It's your punishment…you're the cat. You deserve even less than this. Spending time with the Sohma's, with Tohru taking care of you; it's made you soft and weak_./

Kyo sighed and made a mental decision to suck it up and get used to it. Gazing out of the mouth of the cave, he watched the rain pour down from the sky, and scowled in distaste. He couldn't help but think that he was a coward for sneaking away like that, not telling anyone where he was going. Hell, he didn't even know where he was going. All he knew was that far away was good enough for him. And if Akito found out, which he most certainly would, then Kyo would deal with it when the problem arose. For now though, he just wanted to stop all his thoughts and get some rest. Which was proving to be difficult.

"Why can't I just get some sleep?" He groaned inwardly to himself, unwrapping the bundle he had took with him when he left. It's contents were sparse, some food, a flashlight, and a small wool blanket, and a change of clothes. He took the blanket and unrolled it, spreading it over him and resting his head on a flat rock in a relatively dry space.

/I wonder…have they noticed that I'm gone yet? Everyone should be up by now, even though it's so dark out…it has to be around nine-ish. Maybe no one has noticed, and they think that I've already left. In that case, they won't notice until tonight when I don't come home. But they won't really begin to worry until the next night when I don't show, or maybe if the school calls they may begin to look. And if it stops raining soon, I'll have a good head start on them, so they'll never find me…/

/_Don't you wish they'd come looking for you though?_/

"No." Kyo said out loud, startling himself with the sudden noise. He didn't want them to come looking for him, he'd rather that they forgot about him, and he'd forget about them. Especially Yuki…

Thinking about Yuki always lead him to think of all the times when he had felt something for Yuki but ignored it, inevitably leading up to when Kyo realized he was in love with him. The day, that day when he couldn't pretend anymore, was etched in his mind, burned there and he knew it would scar and never let him forget. It was his own fault anyways, he figured, for getting himself into that mess in the first place…

flashback, 3 weeks earlier

Kyo was sitting at the table, reading an assigned chapter of a book for school. Tohru bustled in, staring out the window and fretting.

"Oh dear, where could Yuki have gone? He left this morning, and I haven't seen him since…" She turned sadly to Kyo, her eyes pleading silently to him.

"Kyo," she said, "do you know where Yuki went? Have you seen him today?"

Kyo sighed angrily. She was interrupting his reading. "No, I haven't seen that damn ra—Yuki, not since this morning." He said angrily, going back to his book. But Tohru persisted.

"But Kyo-kun, are you sure? You have no idea where he might have gone?" But Tohru didn't wait for an answer; she trudged back to her room, closing the door softly behind her.

/Ok, back to reading.../

But he couldn't concentrate. His eyes just kept straying towards the window, wondering where Yuki was. With a low snarl, Kyo stood up, clenching his fists.

/That's just like Yuki to run off and leave Tohru to worry. He doesn't deserve her attention, why doesn't she like me? I guess I'd better go looking for that idiot, just for Tohru though./

He stood up, hastily dropping his book when he saw the sight outside. Lighting slashed through the sky and thunder boomed. Altogether it looked creepy and quite foreboding. And Kyo found himself actually worrying for the violet eyed boys safety.

/He is prone to getting sick...especially from the cold...Dammit/ Kyo shook his head violently, hoping to get rid of the anxiety clouding over his mind. Defiantly he threw his jacket on and slipped into his shoes, and slammed the door behind him, effectively shaking the whole house.

Sloshing through the rain, Kyo pulled up the hood on his coat and shivered slightly. He didn't know where he was heading, other then deep into the woods that surrounded Shigure's house. To him it seemed that he walked for an eternity, and more than once he cursed Yuki, the weather, and Yuki some more. He also wondered what he was doing in the middle of the woods while it was raining, all for some damn rat. But he still continued, until he came to a small clearing, with a tarp pulled over a piece of land. Something drew Kyo closer, and on the ground he saw a small grey rat, his tiny paws still clutching at a strand of rope.

Nausea washed over him and he stumbled to his knees beside Yuki, clutching his jacket closer to him. Dragging himself up, he gathered the tiny Yuki in his hands and swayed, trying to stay standing. With a determined grunt he threw himself into the semi shelter of the woods, and curled up inside a very large and hollow tree. Big enough for two. His sleepiness took over and he lost consciousness.

When he awoke, it was sunny out, and he could feel a weight on top of him. It wasn't so heavy that it bothered him though, and it was warm. Opening his eyes a bit more, the circumstances hit him square in the face. He was in a hollowed out tree trunk, cuddling up to Yuki Sohma, who was quite naked. Not to mention sleeping and snoring slightly. Kyo smothered a yelp of surprise. He couldn't very well move the rat, in case he woke up and…well he was naked. So Kyo-resentfully-settled back down and waited for Yuki to awake.

/This is so weird, were his initial thoughts. But after a while he couldn't help noticing how the light played upon his silky hair, and how his skin was milky white and flawless…everywhere…

/No, stop! Stop oogling Yuki while he's asleep. Wait—oogling? Where'd that come from/

It was around then, somewhere in between mentally hitting himself for staring at Yuki and then physically hitting himself for staring at Yuki, that he knew he had to come to terms with everything. Starting with Tohru Honda.

What did he think of Tohru? After contemplating, arguing, pleading with himself, he realized. What he felt for the girl was no more then brotherly affection. Actually thinking of doing anything sexually with her was, well, kinda gross. Which then led him to think of any girl he had ever like, any at all. There was none.

/So, what the hell is this then/ he wondered. He looked down at Yuki, a smile playing on the orange haired boys lips.

/Maybe…/

/_No._/ he answered himself, pushing it all to the back of his mind. Yuki stirred, and Kyo looked down, before blushing crimson and covering his eyes with his hand, peeking only a little bit.

Yuki had obviously been having a…pleasant dream, you could say. This thought made Kyo go redder, if possible, and he quickly shook Yuki to wake him.

"Get up." Kyo said, shaking Yuki again. Yuki opened his eyes sleepily.

"_Must_ you be here when I wake up, you stupid cat?" Yuki snapped. Kyo opened his mouth to make a snide remark, but closed it again just as fast.

"Wait…" Yuki looked around, "last I remember I was trying to save my garden…Oh no, my garden!" He exclaimed, jumping up and running towards it. Butt naked.

Kyo coughed nervously.

"Yeah," he said nonchalantly, "I uh, tied the rest of it when I first found you." Kyo said, carefully looking in the opposite direction of Yuki.

Yuki gathered his clothes and was pulling them on, when he looked strangely at Kyo and said, "Kyo, did you happen to hit your head on something? You're acting strangely, even for a cat like you."

Kyo reddened and spun to face him, "I'm fine," he yelled, "I can't believe you! Everyone says you're the perfect gentleman, everyone's 'in love' with _Prince_ Yuki," he said snidely, "and here I come out here, all the way out here IN THE FUCKING RAIN TO SEE IF YOU WERE OKAY, AND I DON'T EVEN GET A FUCKING THANKS!" Kyo stopped, breathing heavily and staring at the ground. He wished that he could disappear.

Yuki looked even more confused. "But, why did you come out here to see if I was ok…"

"I—I, I mean…" Kyo stuttered, looking for words that would help him out. "For Tohru! I didn't want her to catch a cold, so I went looking for you. For Tohru. To make sure, that you were, ok…" Kyo trailed off, and then angrily kicked at the stone by his feet. "Aw hell, lets just get the hell outta here. Come on." He began to walk away, kicking at random plants and dirt. Yuki followed, still confused but deciding that he must have hit his head.

end flash

And three weeks later, Kyo still could not get the violet-eyed boy out of his thoughts. Consequently landing himself in Hatori's office quite a bit, for Shigure seemed to think that he had some sort of concussion or sickness. It wasn't his fault that he no longer could hurl insults at Yuki with the same vigour as before. That day in the woods had changed Kyo's entire existence.

/He'll probably be celebrating that I left. Maybe he'll even throw a party…/ Visions of the entire Sohma family happily gathering and laughing, glad to be rid of the dirty cat, plagued Kyo. If he had cried, it wouldn't have been the first time. But he kept his tears at bay, refusing to show that he wished to be loved.

/Well I don't care anyways. They can have their stupid parties. I'll train out here, and when I find my master, then I'll show him how much stronger I am/

Of course, he had no idea that at that very moment, Yuki was secretly planning something. But it wasn't a party. Not one of the sorts that Kyo was thinking at least.

A search party, a one manned search party, was what Yuki plotted. Even though no one else was quite alarmed about Kyo's disappearance yet, Yuki was. He knew, he had seen, heard even, why Kyo had left. Although no one else knew, he did. And that is why he sat in his room, hazardously throwing essentials into a small backpack.

/I will find Kyo. I have feelings for him, strange ones…But…I'll go to him, and it will be to return the favour. He saved me, now I'll save him and bring him home. Where he belongs. He belongs here with us./

/_With me…_/

hee hee. Done for now. See everyone next chapter! Also, thank you so much to everyone who reviewed. I heart you!


	3. A Light at the End of the Tunnel

3rd chapter, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I don't even have a job right now; so suing would be a pointless endeavour. (haha, that was the original disclaimer. I actually have a job now!)

-----

A tired looking neko boy stared outside from the mouth of a cave, sulking like a little child.

"Damn rain," he muttered, scuffing his shoe on the rock floor. "I feel so tired…"

The rain pounded on, skittering down the sides and top of the cave, creating a sort of magical waterfall effect. Kyo smiled, despite his sour mood, and found himself thinking of Yuki.

/I bet Yuki would love this, he would think it was beautiful/

"Where did that come from..." he wondered, blinking and vowing to himself that he would stop thinking of the quiet nezumi.

/Things between us, well they would never work out anyways...right.../

"Right," he said out loud, trying to break the eerie silence of the caves, which was not so silent as much as just creepy looking.

/It's gotta be around tenish, and the rain still hasn't let up. I wonder if it will eventually flood the cave. On the bright side of that, it would kill me and I'd never have to deal with that damn Akito again/

At the thought of Akito, Kyo shivered and wrapped his arms around himself tightly. Thinking of him gave Kyo chills, the kind that penetrated you right to the bone, and froze your entire body. Rummaging through the contents of his sack, he realized that he didn't pack much.

"Why didn't I just steal that stupid rat's backpack? Or taken mine? I'm such an idiot!' He threw a punch at the stone wall. It stayed completely solid, not even moving slightly. Kyo felt a burning sensation on his knuckles, and looked down to see that his knuckles were scraped up and bleeding. The adrenaline rush it gave to him, though, was amazing. Somehow, he felt released from his troubles as he watched the blood seep down his hand and drip onto the floor. And as quickly as his jubilation had come, it vanished with his voice of reason.

/_Stop this right now; you have to stop! This is the one thing that you promised yourself that you would never do!_/

/It's not the same though, is it? I mean, it's not like I could die from it, it's only a bit of blood.../

But he had already made a decision. He ripped a part of his blanket off and bandaged his hand up, promising himself that if the rain didn't end up stopping soon that he would just train inside. Leaving him completely bored, and free to think.

/I wonder, have they noticed yet? Is Tohru worried for me? She always did worry a lot, that silly girl...Or maybe she's helping Yuki plan his party, laughing and giggling with him, gazing into his eyes, smiling at him...perhaps now that I am gone, they will admit to each other that they obviously are in love. Yuki's been acting strange, and Tohru seems to be spacier then usual. They're practically transparent. On the other hand, if they all think that I've died in the rain, and then maybe Akito won't bother to look for me and I'll have a chance...a chance to live out my dream. I can move anywhere I want, people won't look at me as if I'm dirty, they won't cower away in fear that I bring bad luck. No one will be able to lock me away forever. I can be...free./

A look of hope was clearly visible on Kyo's face. Now that he was gone from Shigure's, away from the main house and Akito, it seemed entirely possible that he could do that. Content for now, Kyo leaned up against the wall and continued to watch the downpour, proving that he could be just as patient as Yuki, if he wanted.

Soon though, Kyo discovered that it was quite amusing to sit on the ground and throw variously sized rocks through the sheet of rain and watch the shape they made in the water, before it closed up again. Not only did Kyo enjoy it immensely, it also helped him keeps his thoughts of Yuki at bay, which was always a good thing.

/It could never be, he'd never accept me, Akito wouldn't allow it, we wouldn't get away with it…/

/_Could we?_/

---

"Yu—Yuki?" Came a sleepy voice from the end of the hall. Yuki froze, slowly hiding his backpack in the shadows and turning to face Tohru.

"Yes, Miss. Honda," he said patiently, eyes darting around the darkened hallway.

"Uhh—" she stifled a yawn, "where are you going so late?

Yuki began to sweat, and said, "Oh, I was a bit thirsty Miss. Honda, and was about to go grab a glass of water. If you would like I can get you a glass as well..."

His plan worked perfectly. Tohru insisted she was fine, and retreated to her bedroom because she was so embarrassed. Yuki thanked someone up there that Tohru was not very perceptive when she was half asleep, or else she may have realized he was wearing a black v-neck sweater that clung to his body, and black pants that flowed loosely around his nice physique. He picked back up the backpack and flung it over his shoulder, slipping out of the front door, unnoticed.

Outside the rain pounded down on Yuki, making him shiver in the cold onslaught. Luckily he had remembered an umbrella, he propped that open and continued down the path, rainwater slowly filling up his shoes.

The wetness that filled his shoes was uncomfortable, but it went unnoticed by Yuki, who was preoccupied thinking of Kyo. It wasn't anything logical, but only flashes of him. Past conversations, memories that involved him, fights that were lost by him.

_You Damn Rat! Why can't I ever beat you? I've gotten so much better…_

_Ha, Baka Neko, you'll never compare to me._

Yuki felt a stab of cold regret run through him. All those harsh words...had the young Neko merely been looking for comfort from him, for solace in the rat, who didn't just merely look though him, but saw him and acknowledged him? Not the best kind of acknowledgement, but it was probably enough to confirm to him that he was indeed alive, that he was a real person.

/_I never realized…how much we depended on each other. I never noticed his silent pleas towards me. Or maybe I did, and I just ignored...but no, that's worse then never hearing them at all._/

_Yuki, can we—could I—I mean, do you—_

_Spit it out you sorry excuse for a cat._

_…Never mind you moronic rat! I'm going to kick your ass!_

Could that have been one of the times? What would he have requested, if those words of destruction had not been said? If Yuki had been silent as Kyo stuttered and stumbled over his words, trying to convey a message to Yuki. Friendship? Homework help? Maybe just to talk. Yuki understood that he might never find out, and with determination in his heart he plunged deep into the shadowy woods. He had forgotten a flashlight.

/_Ha, not so prepared after all now…_/

It didn't matter to him though, he continued, blindly stumbling through the brush, hoping that he would find the one person who he knew he would miss the most.

"I can't loose him. Please God, let me find him, please help me find him…"

Yuki had never been very religious. But it seemed to be the appropriate thing to do, pray to a God in a desperate attempt, one last shot, at attaining his goal. Yuki's strength was waning, his hopes were flagging down and fading away, there seemed to be no way to stop them from leaving. Despair. Yuki was in despair. There was no way he'd find Kyo in the weather now, even if he did, he may be dead. And if he didn't find Kyo and find shelter quick, then he would die out here in the woods, and his chance to save Kyo would be gone.

/_Kyo…_/

The dirt from beneath Yuki's feet crumbled beneath him, and the rat tried to quickly scramble away. But the rain had made the ground slick with wet mud, and Yuki pitched face first down a ravine. Tumbling down, his elbow scraped past a rock, tearing his sweater. The umbrella was lost, and the backpack went rolling down the hill ahead of him. Yuki reached out in an attempt to grab it, but he hit a jagged rock that sent him flying into the air, making a nice clean cut across his stomach, and crash landing at the bottom. He lay in the mud, letting the rain soak into him, and felt the dull pain receding to the back of his head. /_Shock_, he realized/_I'm going into shock_./

With pained efforts, he forced himself to move his arm, checking to see if it was broken. Although it hurt him, he could still move it fine. His fingers grazed across something grainy in texture, but still sort almost. The backpack.

/_Maybe I still have a chance._/ he thought, moving to sit up. A wave of nausea crashed over him, leaving him coughing and gasping for air. He steadfastly ignored it, standing up and grasping the bag in his free hand. The other one was painful to move, and he suspected he had fractured it.

"Now where to go? I can either find shelter for myself, or continue to look for Kyo," Yuki said, stating his slightly obvious choices. Evidently going home without Kyo was not on his to-do list.

_So then smart guy, where do you go from here?_ Yuki turned around in a small circle, trying to pick a direction. North of him was a wall of a cave he was guessing, and he had come from the west. So that left him with a few other options.

"OW!" exclaimed Yuki. Something had just fallen on his head. He looked down and picked up a small pebble.

/_A stone?_/ he thought. He almost didn't believe it until another one dropped onto his head and landed in his palm. With his eyes as sharp as a rat, he could see the pebbles lying in his hands, as long as he held them close to his face. He turned to look up at the wall, which led to shelter.

/No! Keep going! Ignore the gut feeling, Kyo wouldn't be up there/

/_Says who? Kyo's not stupid; he's probably hiding somewhere. Even if he's not up there, you may at least find a clue…_/

Even though Yuki wondered why Kyo would choose to stay so close to the Sohma's by staying here, he followed his original gut instinct, and began climbing the slippery rocks. Thunder crashed close behind him, and a tree fell over with a shaky smashing sound, combined with the crackling of electricity. Yuki's grip on the rock lessened, and he felt himself sliding back down. He continued to fight his way upwards, and finally pulled himself over the ledge and to relative safety.

/_Trust the cat to make himself difficult to find..._/ to his own surprise, he felt more affectionate in that thought then he did bitter. Perplexed, he pressed his body against the side of the wall so he wouldn't fall off, and inched his way up the path that led towards a dark cave.

---

Kyo threw two small stones down as his last form of amusement, and then set to work lighting a fire. There was a remarkable amount of dry kindling in the cave, and since Kyo always carried a lighter it set on fire quickly. He sat near it, still facing the caves entrance.

/At least now I will be able to maybe keep a bit warm, and stay dry/ he thought, pulling his tattered blanket around his shoulders. To keep himself happily occupied, he set about his favourite pastime. He just sat there and thought, '_what if_…'

Today he looked towards the sheet of water, pretty much impossible to see through, and thought, What if...Yuki walked through right now, soaking wet, and demanding that I return home so that he can ravish me

The thought of sweet, polite Yuki demanding to ravish anyone made Kyo laugh, it was just so implausible. Not to mention that no one would find him so high off the ground...Kyo closed his eyes, leaning his head back and enjoying the warmth and glow of the fire.

_I'm going to beat you this time you damn rat!_

_Only in your dreams, you stupid cat._

_That's what you think!_

Shaking his head, Kyo pushed the memories out of his head. They didn't matter anymore, especially not right now. Later he would replay them all, again and again in his mind, searching for even the slightest sign of caring from Yuki. It would make him stronger, mentally. And maybe, when he was older, and he had gotten over him, he would return and challenge Yuki Sohma to a fight.

Thinking about eventually coming back and finding Yuki comforted Kyo, and he was once again peaceful.

:splash:

Kyo was startled by a sound of water rushing around something large and solid. He opened his eyes and looked towards the entrance, to see a soaking wet Yuki. His hair was a matted and stringy mess, droplets of water forming at the tips. Mud caked his black outfit, his hands, and there was some in his hair. Twigs, leaves, and grass stuck to him. He was bleeding in various places, and seemed very disoriented. Kyo's eyes widened so much that he thought they would pop out of his head, and he squeezed them shut and rubbed them. Was he hallucinating? But Yuki was still there when he opened his eyes, and he looked like shit.

"…K—Kyo…please, come home with me. It's…it's where you…" Yuki swayed on his feet, unable to balance himself anymore, "belong." He plummeted down towards the rock floor, hitting it with a dull thud.

/Yuki? What the f#!./

------

So, that's it for now...I just realized that sometimes I have Kyo swear and then other times I bleep it out. Wow I'm slow, this is only my second time posting this XD Review please, it makes me happy, and I'll update this and the sequel faster!

--Darkdreams


	4. Slip Away

Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket, but I sure wish I did.

---

:last chapter…:

"…K—Kyo…please, come home with me. It's…it's where you…" Yuki swayed on his feet, unable to balance himself anymore, "belong." He plummeted down towards the rock floor, hitting it with a dull thud.

/_Yuki? What the f#!_/

---

Immediately Kyo went into action, springing forward to help the young rat. Kneeling beside him, Kyo checked for a pulse, and then his temperature.

/Oh shit, Yuki, why'd you do this/

Yuki's clothes were soaked, as well as torn to shreds by the unforgiving woodlands. Kyo gently picked up the nezumi and placed him by the roaring fire. One look at Yuki told him that he would be getting a fever if he didn't work quickly. Kyo peeled off the black sweater and threw it to the side. Then he smiled wryly.

/Not exactly how I pictured the first time undressing you would be, but I suppose that doesn't matter right now. Right Yuki-kun/

Kyo moved to the black pants, also skin-tight now, and difficult to get off Yuki. Kyo was trying extremely hard not to touch him, in case Yuki woke up and thought something. The pants, too, were discarded. Reaching for the blanket, Kyo wrapped it around Yuki and then removed his boxers, not wanting himself to get so flustered that he wouldn't be able to do anything.

Kyo took off his shirt and folded it up, placing it under Yuki's head as a makeshift pillow. (A/N, yes, I know that previously Kyo didn't have a shirt. Lets just pretend that he put one on somewhere along the line.) He sat there for a long time, just watching Yuki sleep. It occurred to him that if it weren't for all the adults saying that the cat and rat were supposed to hate each other, him and Yuki may have been friends. Good friends. There had been a time, when they were still young, that the two played together. Until Akito put a stop to it.

Akito. It all came back around to Akito. Akito did not allow for Kyo to make friends. Akito would not stand for Kyo to love Yuki. Akito wanted Kyo locked up. Akito controlled everyone in the family.

So, wouldn't that mean that if Akito weren't alive, that everyone would accept him again?

/No, they would still remember.../ Kyo sighed. It was a vicious cycle that would never be broken, that _could never be broken_.

/As long as someone in the family remains, that remembers the way things should be, nothing will change/

Nothing would ever change. Or could it change? Kyo didn't know. He knew that he wouldn't be able to make anything happen. But he also knew that Tohru was special. She may be able to change things.

The glow of the fire played across Yuki's hair and face, making his skin glow and his hair seem to move. It was an illusion, but Kyo liked it all the same. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a bag. Confusion flitted across his face until he realized that Yuki must have been carrying it. Without hesitation he stood up and walked towards the bag, bringing it back towards the fire.

Why on Earth would Yuki bring this huge bag full of stuff…that pack rat must have brought the whole house with him.

But Kyo found that Yuki had actually been quite sensible. He had brought food that wouldn't go bad, and bottled water, as well as blankets and extra clothes, something that Kyo had not thought of. In the side pockets there were matches, toothpaste and two toothbrushes, wool hats, bandages, and a wallet filled with money. Kyo felt stupid, knowing that he had thought of none of that. He had just wanted to leave. But he hadn't thought of the necessities. It made him feel very foolish to be upstaged by the rat again.

But a second thought formed in his head as well. Judging by the sheer amount of what Yuki had packed, it seemed that he wasn't planning on returning until he had found Kyo.

Kyo blushed. Yuki had been thinking of him?

_…K—Kyo…please, come home with me. It's…it's where you…belong…_

/Was that really what he meant? Or was it just ramblings before he lost consciousness…it was probably that. He wouldn't think that me, the cat, belonged with him. It's not the way he was brought up. He must have been hallucinating. Or thinking of Tohru. Yup, that's gotta be it

/_Are you sure? How can you know for sure until you ask him? Don't just give up right away, you're the cat! Be stubborn! Be loud! You're the obnoxious one that breaks all the rules! So start following your description you pansy!_/

Kyo didn't know what to think, but he wasn't going to let that stop him from taking care of Yuki. And plus, he couldn't believe he had just called himself a pansy. If it were anyone else, he would have knocked them out.

"Maybe I am being a pansy. I'm just a damn scaredy cat, cowering in a corner waiting for bad things to happen to me. And when I'm not doing that, I'm either running away or feeling sorry for myself. Not anymore though. I'll go back to Shigure's house and face up to that damn Akito."

/Maybe.../

Kyo laid out Yuki's clothes by the fire, snickering when he saw that Yuki wore boxers with little cartoon tabby-cats on them. He sat on a large rock, stretching out on it and watching the scene outside. The rain had calmed down a bit, leaving a clear view of the forest. Water dripped from leaves high up on trees, and the grass sparkled with droplets of the pure water. The entire forest was still and awaiting for the rain to finally die out. Even though it was putting up a good struggle. Kyo lay down, resting his head in the crook of his arm and letting his eyes droop a little. All the rain and dreary weather had sapped him of his energy, and all he wanted was to fall asleep. He was just drifting off when he heard a bird chirping, and it slammed him hard back to reality. He sat up straight, jumping off the rock and checking to see if Yuki's clothes were still damp.

"Well, at least I learned something from Tohru…" Kyo yawned widely, folding the last of Yuki's now-dry clothes. Not that they would be much use anyways, they were torn, muddy and blood-stained.

/Wait…blood? Fuck Kyo instantly forgot about his tiredness, and his oncoming headache, and rushed towards Yuki's sleeping body.

"Yuki! Yuki wake up you jerk! Wake up!" Kyo shook Yuki violently until he cracked open one eye and looked up. Kyo breathed a sigh of relief, dropping his hands to his side and tilting his head back.

"Kyo, wha--?" Yuki attempted to speak, but Kyo effectively cut him off by clamping his hand over Yuki's mouth.

"Where are you hurt?" Kyo asked abruptly. He pulled the blanket off Yuki and ran his eyes down his body, looking at the wounds and getting more and more angry with himself. By now Yuki was protesting quite loudly, realizing that he was naked.

"Would you stop being so fussy so that I can put some clothes on!"

"Yeah, as soon as you stop refusing my help and let me bandage that cut!" Kyo yelled back, grabbing the dressings and the water out of the bag.

"Stop now! At least let me get some clothes on," Yuki complained. Kyo glared at the rat, and Yuki glared right back. Violet eyes clashed with angry red ones. Kyo felt drawn to Yuki's eyes, which could be so cold, but hold so much emotion and depth when he let go of his polite exterior.

"Fine," Kyo muttered, backing down. He handed Yuki his kitty boxers, and turned away as a beet red Yuki pulled them on. When he turned around Yuki was lying back down patiently.

"Ok…now if you'd stop struggling then I can put on the bandages."

"Fine with me."

"Fine."

"Fine."

"…" Yuki stared at Kyo as he took out the water and dampened the end corner of the blanket.

"Quiddit," Spluttered Kyo, shakily putting the cap back on the water. Yuki looked away again, and Kyo silently cursed himself for being an idiot.

There was an awkward silence, where both Kyo and Yuki said nothing, they barely even breathed. Kyo cleaned Yuki's cuts and bandaged them, and Yuki stared off into space, coming in and out of consciousness. Kyo tried to busy himself with Yuki's bandages, thinking about everything from where to go after taking Yuki home to other, more interesting, things he could do with Yuki and the dressings…

"Kyo," Yuki spoke, breaking the spell of silence that had somehow weaved itself into the fabrics of Kyo's mind.

"Yeah," he said, not looking up from his task.

"I just, I just have a few questions." Yuki reached out and tilted Kyo's head up to look him in the face. He noticed that Kyo looked startled. He wondered how many other facial expressions the cat had that he had always missed, other then anger and stubbornness.

"Well, spit it out then," Kyo said. It was Yuki's turn to be surprised, he had been expecting anger or frustration to be in Kyo's voice, but instead it sounded…tired. Tired and weary and maybe a little afraid of what Yuki would ask of him.

Smiling sadly at what they had become, Yuki said, "Why did you leave, Kyo? I just don't understand…"

/It's Miss. Honda. He's in love with her, I know it. I've known it all along, but…maybe just this once I was hoping that he…that he…/

/_That he would pay attention to you?_/

"Why not? I hate it there anyway," Kyo spat out, looking away, suddenly finding the floor extremely interesting.

"…Do you Kyo? I guess it is right to assume then, that you hate it at Shigure's, and you hate everyone that lives there? That you hate the entire Sohma family, the curse, and anyone involved?" Yuki was surprised to hear a touch of bitterness enter his voice. It wasn't fair that he had to feel all this for Kyo when the boy so obviously didn't feel the same.

Kyo took a deep breath and paused, as if struggling with something. And then he said, "No. You assume too much you know. If you just looked at the big picture, Yuki-kun, maybe you would understand more. It's not you that I hate, as you implied. It's," he stopped, standing up and beginning to pace, "it's nothing," he finished.

Yuki noticed everything about the cat then, his posture, his voice, his side profile, but most of all the sadness that was in his eyes, masked by his look of anger. Sure, the anger showed on his face, but it was only now that Yuki realized the falseness in it, the huge façade. It puzzled him for a moment, as he tried to piece it together. So then, maybe…maybe he had been right in his earlier thinking. Did the cat have feelings for him too?

/Only one way to find out for sure…/

Since Kyo's back was to him, he didn't realize Yuki standing up gracelessly behind him.

"Any other questions," Kyo asked leaning against the side of the cave with a sigh.

"Yes, actually," whispered Yuki, standing only a few feet away from the redhead neko. Kyo spun around to face Yuki, who took the opportunity to close the space between them and tilt his head towards Kyo's, pressing his lips against his own.

Everything was still. Kyo didn't make a single move, he completely froze up, and Yuki found himself thinking that he had made a colossal mistake. To just assume that Kyo may have had an interest in him was completely absurd, now that he thought about it. Just as he was about to pull away and wish he could melt into the ground, Kyo wrapped his arms around Yuki's waist and parted his lips slightly. Yuki took that as an invitation and slipped his tongue in, gleefully thinking that he had been right, after all. And for a moment time stopped for the two, as they lost themselves in each other's arms.

Perfection was broken though, when they heard the sounds of shouting voices.

Yuki pulled away first, whirling around and running to the mouth of the cave to cautiously peer out. Kyo came up behind him and looked out as well. Down in the clearing that Yuki had fallen into stood Shigure and Hatori, examining a black umbrella.

"Shit," Yuki swore. Kyo looked in disbelief at the grey haired boy, who rarely, if ever, swore.

"What? Did I just hear Prince Yuki…swear?" Kyo said in mock surprise, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Gasp, I'm shocked and appalled Yuki. I expected better."

"Shut up Kyo, we need to be serious. They've found my umbrella, and that means they'll be looking for both me, and you."

Kyo paled and became considerably more sombre. "What should I do?" he whispered.

"Well, getting out of here would be a good start." Yuki said, turning to go grab the bags. He stumbled and Kyo caught him.

"Careful, or you'll end up with worse injuries then what you have. We need to get you to a hospital. You're not well."

"I'll be fine for now. Right now lets get out of here."

"Wait, _lets_? You can't come with me, you need medical attention. Hatori's best at that kind of stuff," Kyo said, an alarmed look on his face.

"Kyo, if I go back then Akito won't be happy. He'll be angry that I came looking for you. He'll hunt you down Kyo, and he'll lock you up."

"I didn't want to drag you into this…" Kyo muttered, running a hand through his devilished hair.

"Too late for that Kyo, you dragged me into this the moment you moved in, the moment I realized that I…that I can't live without you."

Silence once again took over the cave, and Kyo looked at Yuki in a new light.

"I—Yuki, you know I—"

"I know. Lets stop wasting time and leave." Yuki said, grabbing the blanket off the floor and stuffing it into his already bursting bag. Kyo tied his bundle up neatly and handed it to Yuki, taking the larger bag from him and hoisting it up on his shoulders.

"Ok, lets get the hell outta here." Kyo said, glancing out to the clearing again.

Akito had arrived with Kureno, gesturing wildly to Hatori and Shigure. When Shigure merely shrugged and smiled, Akito looked furious, lashing out at Shigure and knocking him to the ground. This was incentive enough to get Yuki moving, who quickly moved Kyo out of view from the clearing.

"How are we getting out…It's just not possible." Yuki felt himself falling into hopelessness, shaking his head slowly.

"There's always a way…" Kyo muttered, pulling Yuki with him into the shadows beside the entrance to the cave. Yuki watched as Shigure, Hatori, Kureno and Akito climbed a rocky path up to the cave.

/I couldn't have just found the road, now could I? No, I had to climb/

"Get ready," Kyo whispered to him. Yuki tensed up, unsure of what he was to do. The four walked into the cave and moved to the centre of the room, looking at the ashes from the fire. Kyo made no sound, but pulled Yuki with him out of the cave and down the winding path. All right behind their backs. Yuki was amazed that he had managed to do it so quietly. Kyo was a natural; he made hardly a sound when he moved.

"Oh god," Yuki whispered faintly after they were a safe distance away from the cave.

"Scared?" Kyo asked him, stopping at a stream to clean up. Yuki did the same.

"A little…" Yuki admitted.

Kyo looked up at him and smiled a rare smile. "Me too," he confided. "Akito scares the hell out of me, even when he doesn't realize I'm there."

Yuki felt better knowing that he wasn't the only one who was afraid. He looked at his reflection. His face was finally clean, and his hair was at least leaf-free now, although still a bit dirty. Yuki pulled out his change of clothes, glad for once that he always over-packed, and pulled on a white Japanese style shirt and black dress pants. He let out a sigh; at least he didn't look like he had spent half the night rolling around in the mud now. His arm throbbed at him painfully, and his legs threatened to give out on him. His heart was still hammering in his chest from the close call before, not to mention the kiss that he had shared with Kyo…

Yuki snuck a look over at his cousin, who was sitting cross-legged and batting his hands at the fish swimming down the river, cat ears peeking out through orange hair and an irritated look on his face. Altogether it was an adorable scene. Yuki was admiring the lean muscle of Kyo when a shadow loomed over him. He was confused as to who would be wandering around the woods, and slowly he began to turn around. His eyes widened in shock and the person finally spoke, in an ominous tone.

"Yuki. Kyo." it said sternly. Yuki gulped and faced his impending doom.

----

Ah, no more authors notes are allowed…So I'll just say that I hope everyone had a great New Years. I'll try to respond to all the reviews I get. But, I'm so lazy sometimes… XD


End file.
